A few hundred people surrounded the cleared dance floor, watching an intertwined couple dance lustfully to the music. The female dancer twirled in a gossamer two-piece outfit of blues and purples that bared her midriff; her wide eyes remained closed as her partner led. At moments during the ever-graceful, ever-charged tango performance, it looked like they were moving as one.Unlike the tango that is packaged for tourists in dinner shows across Buenos Aires, the couple’s four-song performance took place in the main room of the Villa Malcolm recreation centre (Cordoba 5064; 47-72-9796), surrounded by an audience of other tango dancers. Upstairs, out of earshot, teenage boys played on indoor fútbol fields, and near the entryway to the cavernous dance room, staff members served empanadas and classic Argentine milanesas, breaded, fried meat filets, straight from the grill.

Argentine milanesas

After the touristy dinner shows conclude each night, the professional tango dancers, some with stage makeup still caked on, migrate to community centres, dance halls and recreational facilities across Buenos Aires to join the masses in any one of multiple milongas or prácticas taking place. The milonga — essentially any place or event where people gather to dance tango — is where the history of the dance meets its future, where the nostalgic sounds of accordions blend with the rejuvenating energy of youth, and where the most seasoned dancers share the dance floor with novices. Milongas bring together a cross-section of all walks of life: local, international, young and old.

A milonga

This underground, nocturnal world of tango offers the purest way for visitors to experience the dance. At its roots, tango is not a choreographed performance. Though most milongas do include an impressive invitational performance from professional dancers mid-way through the evening, the dance floor is open for improvisation the rest of the night.

The vast majority of milonga attendees are serious about learning or perfecting the tango, though no skill level is required to attend. Additionally, most milongas begin the night with a lesson. Non-dancers are welcome to sit at any one of the tables that ring the dance floor, order a bottle of wine and observe the throngs of couples tangoing. As opposed to a dinner show, which costs hundreds of Argentinean pesos, entrance to a milonga ranges between 15 and 30 pesos.

Couples dance the tango at Villa Malcolm’s Monday night milonga in Buenos Aires

“This is the real tango, ” said Gabrielle Stein, a professional tango dancer and guide for Narrative Tango Tours, which takes small groups of no more than six people on private tours to milongas around the city. Stein teaches the groups about the history, culture and social codes of the tango, and shares her own experiences of learning and dancing it.

Narrative Tango Tours often takes visitors to one of the most revered milongas in the city, Milonga Parakultural, which takes place three days a week at the historic dance hall Salón Canning. On a recent Friday night in the lit, high-ceilinged room, men lined the carved, wooden bar, scouting out their next dance partners. Those who had already paired off filled the dance floor. True to the mixed crowd of a milonga, a man who at first glance appeared too frail to walk was one of most skilful and desired dancers of the night; he was never without a partner.

Club Fulgor, Villa Crespo

Club Fulgor (Loyola 828; 15-4066-5831), in the Villa Crespo neighbourhood, is a small venue compared Villa Malcolm and Salón Canning. The tango practiced at Club Fulgor’s Praktika 8 or Milonga10 on Tuesday and Saturday nights is contemporary, with high kicks and fancy twists, and showier than the more traditional style seen at Salón Canning. On one Tuesday night, a dancer in attendance had competed in the Tango World Cup in August.

Some of the city’s top tango dancers also regularly take to the floor at La Viruta, an unpretentious space below an Armenian cultural centre in the Palermo neighbourhood. The hall hosts tango classes six days a week, with most ending in a práctica, as well as other dance classes, such as salsa.

The milonga La Glorieta

One of the most unexpected milonga spots in Buenos Aires is in a sizable, lit gazebo in the sloping park facing the Belgrano C train station. The free milonga La Glorieta, gets started around 7 pm, much earlier than most other milongas in the city.

Karina Martinez-Carter

23 Nov 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20111121-the-tango-buenos-aires-tourists-never-see

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This article is written by Shifra Menezes , a student and a travel writer based in Mumbai

Here’s a look at the top 25 destinations around the world that includes cultural capitals, architectural havens, beach paradises and some unconventional picks as well.

1. Cape Town, South Africa

The mere mention of most destinations in Africa immediately conjures up images of lion safaris and yellow wilderness as far as the eye can see. While these are enough to keep the intrepid traveller quite happy and offer the experience of a lifetime, there is more to Africa than just that and Cape Town is where it’s all at.

From cultural and historical attractions to wildlife and adventure sports, Cape Town has something for everyone.

A handful of the popular tourist attractions in Cape Town:

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront a popular haunt for dining and shopping, offering up a wide variety of cuisine and wares.
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden with its tranquil surrounds and exotic plants, is the ideal picnic spot for nature-lovers and trekkers alike.
The beaches in and around Cape Town are famous for their soft white sand and crystal-clear waters. Some of the popular ones are Blouberg, Dolphin Beach and Boulder.
If you’re an animal lover with a penchant for big cats, drop in at the Drakenstein Lion Park, dedicated to rehabilitating the beautiful animals in their natural surrounds.
For history buffs, a boat ride to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, is a must-visit.

2. Sydney, Australia

Often mistaken as the capital city, Sydney is the country’s largest city and arguably its cultural capital.

The unmistakable waterfront of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge is just one of the many tourist attractions in the city.

Your visit to the harbour city should include:

Bondi Beach, one of the most famous in the world for its massive swells (for the surfers out there), is a great place to start. If you’re looking for a lazy day at the beach however, there are plenty to choose from such as Coogee, Manly and Balmoral among many, many others.
Nature enthusiasts won’t be disappointed with a visit to Taronga Zoo, Oceanworld and the Royal Botanical Gardens.
For those more culturally inclined, there’s the Sydney Festival (free indoor and outdoor performances), the Big Day Out (a travelling rock festival) and a number of film festivals.
Check out breathtaking views from the AMP Tower observatory, the highest structure in Sydney, and the Powerhouse Museum of science, technology and design.

3. Machu Picchu, Peru

Tucked away in the Amazon forests, perched atop an Andean plateau, this ancient city is an architectural marvel. Often referred to as the ‘Lost city of the Incas’, it has been recognised as a World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Built around 1450, at the height of the Inca empire, the entire city has been constructed using polished dry stone and has survived the centuries remarkably well.

One of the three primary constructions within the city is the Intihuatana, a pillar built using stones that point to the sun. At noon on March 21 and September 21, the sun is almost directly above the pillar, and casts no shadow. It is believed that the Incas used this as a clock or calendar based on the sun’s path.

So for the traveller who enjoys a little history lesson along the way, Machu Picchu does just that.

4. Paris, France

Nothing says romance quite like Paris. But there is a lot more to this beautiful city than just the Eiffel Tower and romantic walks along the Siene.

The French capital offers a host of attractions including The Louvre, which is home to some of the world’s most valuable paintings and sculptures.

Food lovers can relish the French cuisine in the many bistros and cafes that dot the streets and culture vultures can take in the rich history and architecture on offer.

Some popular tourist spots include:

The Notre Dame cathedral, the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and the Pantheon church (the final resting place of Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie) are some of the most recognised landmarks, as is the Eiffel Tower.
The Montmartre and Montparnasse areas, known for their artistic history is worth a visit for music halls and cafes.
Known as the world’s fashion capital, drop in at the Avenue Montaigne and Faubourg Saint-Honore for a peek of the highest of high fashion. And if splashing out on designer labels isn’t your thing, don’t fret. Paris has a lot more shopping than just designer labels. Les Halles and the Champs Elysees have plenty to choose from.
The picturesque Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens are lovely for a stroll of picnic. A great way to unwind after a busy day of sightseeing.

5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Movies and music have had a long-standing love affair with this beautiful city, and deservedly so. The spirit of Rio makes it a must-visit.

Another draw is the fact that the resort city will play host to the 2014 FIFA World Cup final and the 2016 Olympic Games and you can bet it’ll be an explosion of colour and dance two elements that simply capture what the city is all about.

So when you fly down, make sure your travel itinerary includes:

The Copacabana and Ipanema beaches have been immortalised in song and well deserve a drop-by thanks to their many dining spots, pubs and discos.
The Corcovado mountains with the statue of Christ the Redeemer are a major tourist draw being one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, and atop the peak, offer breath-taking views of the Brazilian landscape.
The annual Carnival (during February and March) is an experience like no other. Massive parades along the streets with opulent floats and tens of thousands of revellers simply have to be seen to be believed.

6. New York City, USA

The city has been written about and sung about, movies have been shot around its iconic landmarks and its unmistakable skyline and yet it loses nothing in terms of sheer fascination for the millions of visitors and tourists who throng its streets every year.

So if you too plan to drop by the Big Apple, make sure to visit:

Manhattan for its fantastic skyline and a glimpse of the Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Centre and Times Square.
Ellis Island for the Statue of Liberty, and while you’re at it the Staten Island Ferry.
Madison and Fifth avenue for the shopping.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Broadway for some cultural stimulation

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